This invention relates to a body or limb encircling therapeutic device, and more particularly to a device of this type which includes a longitudinally extending splicing band which facilitates assembly of the device and, after being assembled, facilitates quick and easy removal of the device from the body or limb and reapplication to the body or limb.
Facilitating removal and reapplication of such therapeutic devices has always presented a problem, but now that these devices are being developed for NASA to reduce the effects of microgravity on astronauts, a solution to the problem of quick removal and reapplication has taken on increased importance.
Therapeutic compression devices of this general type are described in my U.S. Pat. No. 4,215,687 which description is incorporated herein. This device is made up of an assembly of compression bands which are available in different lengths, depending on the girth of the portion of the body or limb to be encompassed. Since the selected lengths of the compression bands are generally longer than necessary, in use, intermediate lengths of the band are usually removed and spliced to reduce the lengths of the bands to the desired lengths. When the bands have been properly spliced to the desired lengths, the bands are tightened and anchored around the body or limb.
In my U.S. Pat. No. 4,215,687, a plurality of parallel compression bands are spliced by interposing a perpendicular anchoring tape between the cut ends of the bands, the anchoring tape having the same outer interlocking fastening surface as the outer surfaces of the compression bands, and then placing a plurality of splicing elements across the anchoring tape and the cut ends, the inner fastening surface of the splicing element interlocking with the outer surface of the anchoring tape and the outer surfaces adjacent the cut ends of the compression bands. An assembled therapeutic device spliced in this manner is removed from the body or limb by unthreading all the compression bands.
My U.S. Pat. No. 5,120,300 relates to a compression band for quick and easy application one at a time to a body or limb in which, after a quick application, the compression band can be tightened to apply the desired compression. This compression band, however, does not facilitate the removal and reapplication of an assembly of therapeutic compression bands applied to the body or a limb.